


Space and Time

by randomling



Series: Lance In Space [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Popslash
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-29
Updated: 2007-12-29
Packaged: 2017-10-11 05:07:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/108748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomling/pseuds/randomling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lance has been away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Space and Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [phaballa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phaballa/gifts).



Before Lance knew it, JC had wrapped him in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh my God," he was saying. "You're OK. You're OK. Jesus."

"Um, hi," Lance said. "How are you doing?"

JC pulled back from the hug. "How am I doing? Cat, you've been missing for three months, we've all been worried sick." He was looking at Lance's face really intently, as if looking for signs of insanity. "Even Justin's been going crazy. What happened to you?"

"What happened to me?" Lance echoed. He smiled to himself, and at that JC looked really alarmed. "What happened to me."

***

_The Doctor is sweating and shaking, he's on the ground, pawing at something that isn't there, and Lance doesn't know what to do. "We have to," the Doctor says again. "We have to. We have to." He's been saying that for the last five minutes, unfocused._

_Lance kneels down beside him, puts his hand on the Doctor's chin and forcibly turns the Doctor's head until their eyes meet. "Doctor," he says firmly. "What do we have to do?"_

_"We have to," the Doctor says again, and Lance sighs in exasperation. "TARDIS," he says._

_That's enough. Lance braces himself and swings the Doctor onto his back, thanking God for hours of practise carrying around half-conscious, wriggling bandmates. The Doctor squirms, but Lance holds him firmly in place and starts the walk back towards the ship._

_He starts the litany again, "We have to," halfway there, but Lance just grits his teeth and keeps walking, telling himself over and over again it isn't that far. Just like picking up a drunk Justin, really, and dumping his ass back on the other bus._

_They make it, and only then does Lance allow himself to remember that if Justin didn't make it onto his own bus, nobody's world would have ended._

***

Lance finally persuaded JC to take him for a beer, on the basis that this wasn't really something you could discuss sober.

Over the first two, he asked pointed questions about how JC had been: the new album, his family, his love life. JC talked, but reluctantly, keeping an eye on Lance's face, as if he was sure Lance was about to go crazy and bite him. Eventually, Lance bought the third beers.

"Okay," Lance said, "so here's the deal. I've been travelling space and time."

JC looked at him like he was crazy.

***

_It's beautiful. It really is._

_At the start of this, Lance promised himself he wouldn't get used to it: alien skies, alien ground beneath his feet. The truth is, though, he is getting a little used to it. It's still beautiful and strange, but it doesn't make him feel like his heart's going to stop any more, and he's learning to ask the right questions. It's not what he thought: can I breathe the air, and will the gravity hold me. It's who's running the show, and will they try to kill us, and what can we do about it._

_Right now, though, they're just standing on a beach, staring out at a blue-green sea, twin suns reflecting off it as they both descend below the horizon. Beside him, the Doctor is grinning, hands in pockets, the wind blowing his hair back._

_Lance reaches out and takes the Doctor's hand._

***

By their fifth beer, JC was leaning forward, excited, drunk. "Are you going back?"

"Are you crazy?" Lance looked up, some sixth sense tingling in the back of his head. The Doctor was standing in the doorway, looking serious. Lance waved him over.

"JC, I want you to meet my friend the Doctor. Doctor, this is JC."

"Nice to meet you," said JC, and he beamed at Lance. "I knew it. I _knew_ it."

"That there was alien life?" the Doctor asked, trading glances with Lance.

"No, man," said JC. "That alien life was really _hot."_


End file.
